Tamil Nadu - Vellore   

Velu charges police with partiality

Photo: D. Gopalakrishnan

Against violation: A. Narayanan, Vellore district CPI (M) secretary, speaking at the fast in Vellore on Thursday. R. Velu, Arakkonam PMK candidate (second from left), and cadres of the AIADMK-led alliance are in the picture. —

VELLORE: Cadres belonging to the parties in the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam-led alliance observed a fast under the leadership of the Pattali Makkal Katchi candidate for the Arakkonam Lok Sabha constituency, R. Velu, opposite the Collectorate on Thursday. They were protesting against the arrest of PMK activists on whom, they said, cases were foisted.

According to a joint statement signed by Mr. Velu, R. Chinnasamy, AIADMK MLA of Singanallur, K.L. Elavazagan, Arcot MLA (PMK), P.N. Udayakumar, Vellore district secretary of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and A. Narayanan, Vellore district secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the fast was also in protest against the “failure” of the district administration and the Superintendent of Police, Vellore, to take action against complaints lodged by the AIADMK-led alliance about model code of conduct violation by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in Arakkonam constituency.

The statement said that the private JaKG TV continued to telecast programmes violating model code of conduct and no action had been taken against the complaint that the Arakkonam DMK candidate, Jagathrakshakan, who sought votes among members of women self-help groups at a marriage hall in Arakkonam by paying money. No action was taken on a complaint that ‘biryani’ was distributed among people who had gathered for an election meeting in Katpadi in Arakkonam constituency, the statement said. No action had been taken on the complaint of disbursement of money by DMK men in Keezhveedhi in the Arakkonam constituency.

Mr. Velu told reporters that five district-level PMK functionaries and activists including A.M. Krishnan, Vellore east district PMK secretary, were arrested only to make them unable to campaign for him. Whenever PMK functionaries lodged complaints against DMK men who violated the model code of conduct, the police arrested the complainants instead of taking action against the accused, he alleged.

N. Arivuselvam, Superintendent of Police, Vellore district, told The Hindu that the police acted impartially in respect of the complaints of violation of the model code of conduct made by the DMK as well as the PMK functionaries.

Following a complaint given by PMK men that the DMK cadres were wooing people with money to campaign for the party candidate in Sholinghur on Wednesday, three DMK men were arrested.

On a complaint by DMK functionaries that PMK men waylaid people who were given cash for campaign work, took away the cash and attacked them, five PMK men have been arrested, Mr. Arivuselvam said.

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